Container with Press-to-Release Cover

ABSTRACT

A novel container is disclosed, comprising a housing and a lid or cover that extends over the top central opening into the housing. The cover rests on a ledge at the top of the housing walls. The ledge has a depression at one or more of the corners of the housing, which permits the cover over the depression to be pressed downward into the depression, causing the opposite side of the cover to project upward from the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of containers. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to relatively small storagecontainers, for example, shoebox sized containers that have a topcentral opening into the container, and a flat, removable lid or coverthat covers the top central opening. The present invention is a novelrelease arrangement for the cover.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a basic aspect, the invention is a container having a top centralopening with a perimeter extending around the opening. A substantiallyflat, thin and relatively rigid top cover is positioned so as to coverthe top central opening. The top cover sits atop a ledge that surroundsthe central opening. The ledge includes at least one depression,preferably at a corner of the central opening formed by the container. Amagnet, and preferably a plurality of magnets, are positioned in thecover and in the ledge to hold the cover in place over the centralopening. The magnets are optional, and are intended to hold the cover inplace when the container is inverted.

The cover is released by pressing on the outer surface of the cover overthe depression, which forces the cover down into the depression. Thecover is cantilevered over the depression, and the opposite end of thecover is leveraged upward. If the cover has sufficient rigidity, it willbreak free of the optional magnets and will tip upward, where it can bereleased and removed from the container.

More particularly, the invention is a container having a top centralopening with a perimeter extending around the opening, the containercomprising:

-   -   (a) a housing with walls and a bottom panel that form the        primary storage portion of the container, the walls having a top        portion, the top portion including a narrow ledge that extends        around the perimeter of the central opening, with at least a        portion of the ledge dipping down into a depression that extends        below the usual plane of the narrow ledge, thereby forming a        cantilever for levering the cover against the cantilever; and    -   (b) a substantially flat, thin and relatively rigid top cover        for covering the top central opening;        -   whereby the cover is released from the container by pressing            downward on the cover over the depression, which causes the            opposite end of the cover to be levered up against the            cantilever, causing the opposite end of the cover to rise            up.

The container can be formed by individual panels, each panel having afirst and second end, with the adjacent panels being connectedend-to-end.

The depression is formed by curving the ledge downward. Alternatively,the depression can be formed by faceting the ledge downward at aninflection point.

The container can further comprise a magnet on the horizontal portion ofthe support ledge, which corresponds to a magnet on the releasable topcover, to hold the cover in place by the magnetic attraction between themagnet on the housing and the magnet on the top cover.

The housing can be made using any suitable, substantially rigidmaterial, such as wood, plastic or metal. The cover can also me made ofwood, plastic or metal, and can be a different material than thehousing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a perspective view of an embodiment of acontainer made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 of the drawing is an exploded view of the container of FIG. 1,showing the individual panels from which that particular embodiment ofthe invention is made.

FIG. 3 of the drawing is a perspective view of the embodiment of a FIG.1.

FIG. 4 of the drawing is an interior view of the embodiment of FIG. 1,with two adjacent panels removed.

FIG. 5 of the drawing is a cross-sectional interior view of theembodiment of FIG. 1, showing the up and down movement of the coverrelative to the housing.

FIG. 6 of the drawing is a exterior, perspective view of the embodimentof FIG. 1, showing the up and down movement of the cover relative to thehousing.

FIG. 7 of the drawing is an exterior, perspective view of the embodimentof FIG. 1, showing faceted depressions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning first to FIG. 1, a container 10 in accordance with the presentinvention comprises a housing 12 and a cover 14 that fits within theprimary opening 50, which opens into the interior of the housing. Thecontainer housing 12 and the cover 14 can be made of any suitablematerial, including wood, plastic, metal, ceramics or the like. Thecover 14 and the housing 12 can also be made of different materials. Thevarious panels can be affixed to each other using glue, adhesive, nailsor screws or any other suitable attachment method.

Viewed from above, the housing 12 and the cover can be any shape,including square, rectangular, triangular or circular. There must,however, be at least one depression in the ledge that extends around theperimeter of the central opening 50.

Turning to FIG. 2, the housing 12 can be made using a series of sidepanels 16, 18, 20 and 22. Each of the side panels 16, 18, 20 and 22forms a wall of the housing 12. The ends of the panels are mitered orotherwise shaped to combine together to form a closed housing. A bottompanel 40 is also provided.

Turning to FIG. 3, each of the panels has an exterior surface and aninterior surface, shown as elements 24 and 32, 26 and 34, 28 and 36, and30 and 38.

At the top of each of the panels, there is a ledge 42 formed in thepanel, for supporting the cover 14. The ledge 42 preferably extendsentirely around the central opening 50 into the box. The term “ledge”should be understood to mean a support surface around the perimeter ofthe central opening, on which the cover can rest when the cover ispositioned over the central opening.

The ledge 42 is generally parallel to the horizontal plane throughoutmost of the length of the ledge. However, the ledge dips down into adepression in at least one corner of the box, and preferably in multiplecorners. As used herein, the term “depression” should be understood tomean a downward deflection of the ledge to form a dip in the ledge thatis sufficient to enable the lid or cover 14 to be pressed down over thearea of the depression. The depression forms a cantilever, causing theopposite end of the cover to be levered up at the opposite end, andcausing the opposite end of the cover to rise up at a point opposite thedepression. From there, it can easily be gripped by a person's fingersand removed from the container.

The depression 44 can be formed by curving the ledge 42 downward intothe corners of the container, as shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, thedepression can be formed by faceting the ledge, as shown in FIG. 7, withthe ledge being substantially parallel to the horizontal plane in thecentral portion 52 of the panel and then sloping downward at a specificinflection point 54, with each portion of the ledge being substantiallyflat.

The box also comprises a bottom panel 40 that is affixed to the bottomsurfaces of the panels 20, 22, 24 and 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, at least one magnet 48 is included in the cover 14,in a position where the magnet 48 will align with another magnet locatedin the ledge 42. Preferably there are multiple magnets. For example, ifthe container is square or rectangular shaped, there is preferably amagnet on each of the four sides of the box's primary opening 50.

The cover 14 is sized and shaped to fit closely into and onto the ledge42. The cover 14 should be relatively inflexible, to prevent the coverfrom flexing and deforming in place when a downward pressure is exertedagainst the cover over the depression in the ledge. Such deformation andflexing would prevent the cover 14 from popping up at one end, as thecorner of the cover 14 is pressed down into the depression at the otherend.

Ideally, the cover 14 should be rigid enough so that, when a corner ispushed down into a depression, the other side of the cover 14 iscantilevered upward, breaking free from the magnets 46 and 48 andpopping up from the ledge 42, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.

FIG. 7 shows an alternate embodiment of a container in accordance withthe present invention, in which the depressions are faceted. The ledge42 includes a region 52 in the central portion of the side panels 16,18, 20 and 22, throughout which the region is generally parallel to thehorizontal. Then, at an inflection point 54, the slope of the ledge 42increases to form the depression(s) 44. Each portion of the ledge isflat. The inflection point functions as a cantilever for levering theopposite end of the cover away from the ledge.

Although an exemplary embodiment has been shown and described, one ofordinary skill in the art may make many changes, modifications, andsubstitutions without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. As for the specific terminology used to describe theexemplary embodiment, it is not intended to limit the invention; eachspecific term is intended to include all technical equivalents thatoperate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose or function.

1. A container having a top central opening with a perimeter extendingaround the opening, the container comprising: (c) a housing with wallsand a bottom panel that form the primary storage portion of thecontainer, the walls having a top portion, the top portion including anarrow ledge that extends around the perimeter of the central opening,with at least a portion of the ledge dipping down into a depression thatextends below the usual plane of the narrow ledge thereby forming acantilever for levering the cover against the cantilever; and (d) asubstantially flat, thin and relatively rigid top cover for covering thetop central opening; whereby the cover is released from the container bypressing downward on the cover over the depression, which causes theopposite end of the cover to be levered up against the cantilever,causing the opposite end of the cover to rise up from the narrow ledge.2. The container of claim 1, wherein the individual walls of the housingare formed by individual panels, each panel having a first end and asecond end, with the adjacent panels being connected end-to-end.
 3. Thecontainer of claim 2, wherein the depression is formed by curving theledge downward.
 4. The container of claim 2, wherein the depression isformed by sloping the ledge downward at an inflection point to form afaceted depression.
 5. The container of claim 3, further comprising amagnet on the horizontal portion of the support ledge, which correspondsto a magnet on the releasable top cover, wherein the cover is held inplace by the magnetic attraction between the magnet on the housing andthe magnet on the top cover.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein thehousing is made of wood.
 7. The container of claim 5, wherein thehousing is made of plastic.
 8. The container of claim 5, wherein thehousing is made of metal.
 9. The container of claim 5, wherein theinflection point functions as a cantilever for levering the opposite endof the cover away from the ledge.